This collection was processed as part of the Chicano Studies Archives Project, made possible by a grant from the President's
Leadership Fund.

Biographical Information:

Enriqueta Chavez (neé Valenzuela), also known as Henri, grew up in Imperial Valley, California. During her childhood, her
family went to Fresno every summer to work as grape pickers. After graduating high school in 1968, Chavez attended San Diego
State University. She received a Bachelor of Science in Community Health and Chicano Studies in 1973, followed by a Master
of Science in Counselor Education one year later. While a student at SDSU, Chavez helped to found the SDSU chapters of the
Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) and Las Chicanas. She attended the first National Chicano Youth Conference
in Denver, Colorado, and became very active in the Chicano movement. In 1974, Chavez began lecturing in the Mexican-American
Studies Department at SDSU (now named the Chicana and Chicano Studies Department). As a lecturer, Chavez helped to develop
the curriculum of the department. Her classes generally centered on Chicana issues.

In 1975, Chavez began working as a high school counselor for the Sweetwater School District while continuing to lecture at
SDSU. She later served as co-chair of the Chicano Council for Higher Education (CCHE) and president of the Association of
Mexican-American Educators. Besides promoting higher education for Mexican-Americans, Chavez also advocated bilingual education
for primary and secondary school students. In addition, Chavez has won numerous awards for her work counseling and teaching,
including Counselor of the Year (1992), Educator of the Year (1997), and the WHO Award (2005) sponsored by the San Diego County
Service Center Council. Today, Chavez continues to work as a high school counselor and as a Professor in Counselor Education
at National University.

Access Terms

This collection is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

Genre/Form of Material:

Personal Papers

Publications

Title:

San Diego State University. Chicana and Chicano Studies

Topical Term:

Chicano movement--California

Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Use:

The copyright interests in these materials have not been transferred to San Diego State University. Copyright resides with
the creators of materials contained in the collection or their heirs. The nature of historical archival and manuscript collections
is such that copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine. Requests for permission to publish must be
submitted to the Head of Special Collections, San Diego State University, Library and Information Access. When granted, permission
is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission
of the copyright holder(s), which must also be obtained in order to publish. Materials from our collections are made available
for use in research, teaching, and private study. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including
but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials.

Conditions Governing Access:

This collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation:

Identification of item, folder title, box number, Enriqueta Chavez Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Library
and Information Access, San Diego State University.

Related Materials:

Rene Nuñez Memorial Collection, 1968-2008

Carmen Sandoval Fernandez Poster Collection, 1974-1983

Arturo Casares Papers, 1968-2007

Maria Garcia Papers, 1968-1997

Chicano Federation of San Diego County Records, 1968-1980

Chicana and Chicano Studies Department Records, 1968-2003

MANA of San Diego County Records, 1986-2002

Arrangement of Materials:

I. Groups and Organizations Files, 1965-2000

1. Community Organizations, 1969-1983

2. Student Groups, 1965-2000

II. Education Files, 1962-1980

1. Bilingual Education, 1962-1980

2. Higher Education, 1964-1980

III. Publications, 1955-1980

1. Articles, 1955-1978

2. Periodicals, 1965-1980

Scope and Contents

The
Enriqueta Chavez Papers (1955-2000) document Chavez's work as a student activist, educator, counselor, and advocate for bilingual education. Highlights
include materials relating to the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán's (MEChA) role in the operation and administration
of the Mexican-American Studies Department. The majority of material dates from the mid 1960s to the early 1970s and primarily
details Chavez's affiliation with MEChA, her tenure as a lecturer in the Mexican-American Studies Department, and her early
activism. Her papers include correspondence, syllabi, articles, course files, handouts, newspapers, conference material, and
reports. The collection is divided into three series:
the Groups and Organizations Files (1965-2000),
Education Files (1962-1980), and
Publications (1955-1980).

The
Groups and Organizations Files (1965-2000) include two sub-series,
Community Organizations (1969-1983) and
Student Groups (1965-2000). These files document the various organizations and groups Chavez participated in particularly during the mid
1960s to early 1970s. The
Community Organizations sub-series documents Chavez's interest in and affiliation with various community organizations, including the Chicano Federation
and Barrio Station. The sub-series, arranged alphabetically, includes meeting notes, announcements, agendas, proposals, reports,
and committee files. The
Student Groups Files documents Chavez's participation in MEChA, Las Chicanas, and the Association of Chicana Activists (AChA) mainly during the
early 1970s. Of particular interest are the MEChA junta directives dealing with the Mexican-American Studies Department at
San Diego State University. Arranged alphabetically, this sub-series includes meeting minutes, newsletters, conference material,
and announcements from both SDSU chapters and other local and state chapters.

The
Education Files (1962-1980) are divided into two sub-series,
Bilingual Education (1962-1980) and
Higher Education (1964-1980). The files document Chavez's work as a counselor and educator. The
Bilingual Education files document Chavez's counseling work and bilingual education advocacy. The majority of material dates from 1965 to 1975
and includes materials on teaching techniques, reports, studies, bibliographies, and conference material with a focus on primary
and secondary education. The
Higher Education files document Chavez's role in developing the curriculum of the Mexican-American Studies Department during its early years
with a focus on Chicana issues. The files also detail her association with the Chicano Council for Higher Education (CCHE)
and the Centro de Estudios. Highlights include materials for the Chicano Mobile Institute, which trained higher education
personnel to recruit, retain, and provide financial assistance for Mexican-American students. Arranged alphabetically, the
files include correspondence, course descriptions, readings, conference material, reports, proposals, brochures, and seminar
materials.

The
Publications (1955-1980) are organized into two sub-series,
Articles (1955-1978) and
Periodicals (1965-1980). These sub-series provide excellent documentation of events, groups, and topics Chavez was involved with and/or
interested in throughout her career. The
Articles sub-series includes articles from journals, books, and newspapers relating to feminism, politics, the Chicano movement, and
demonstrations, especially from 1966 to 1974. The
Periodicals consist of full issues of important activist newspapers, newsletters, magazines, and journals, including
La Verdad,
The Militant,
La Raza,
Young Lords,
El Grito del Norte, and
El Malcriado. Both sub-series are arranged alphabetically.